Three BECE candidates sacked from exam hall

Kumasi, April 18, GNA-Three candidates who were writing the Basic Education Certificate Education (BECE) at the Anglican Secondary School Examination Centre in Kumasi, were sacked from examinations halls by their headmasters for failing to pay their school fees.

They are Elizabeth Mayen of the Asem Mixed Junior Secondary School (JSS), Mary Opoku-Twumasi of the Amakom Adventist JSS and Aziz Bashiratu of the God's Church of Peace JSS.

Mr. Paul Ayamba, examinations supervisor, told the GNA this, during a visit to some of the examination centres in Kumasi to assess progress of the examinations, which started on Monday. He said the Anglican secondary school centre had 962 candidates from 10 schools for the examinations and 10 out of the number, including those sacked were absent.

Mr. Ayamba expressed dissatisfaction about the action of the headmasters, saying "it is wrong for anyone to sack a candidate from the examination hall without the approval of the West Africa Examinations Council since the candidates were fully registered".

When the GNA contacted Mr Newman Twumasi Amponsah, the Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Education, for his opinion about the action by the school authorities, he said no JSS headmaster could sack a candidate from the examinations hall for non-payment of school fees.

He, however, explained that the Directorate and heads of the schools in the metropolis agreed that pupils who stopped attending classes immediately after they had been registered for the BECE examination should not be allowed to take part in their final examinations.

Mr Amponsah said the measure was aimed at deterring parents who refused to allow their children to attend classes after they had been registered to sit for the BECE and instead engaged them in business activities.

At the Kumasi Technical Institute (KTI) centre, one candidate out of the 735 candidates failed to turn up for the examinations and at the T.I. Ahmadiyya Secondary School (AMASS) examinations centre, 12 candidates out of the 961 candidates from 14 schools were absent. Mr.Osei Mensah, supervisor of the Centre said some of the absentees had travelled abroad while others were pregnant.

The GNA observed that security was tight at and there was no examination malpractice recorded at the centres it visited. 18 April, 05